ABSTRACT
Objective: To evaluate the ultrasound abdomen findings in patients having viral chronic liver disease [CLD] and build correlation of these findings with the duration of disease
Study Design: Cross-sectional analytical study
Place and Duration of Study: Department of Medicine, Liaquat University Hospital, Hyderabad and Jamshoro, Pakistan, from February to July 2016
Methodology: Known cases of CLD were inducted. Data was collected using a standardized form which included details of patients, duration of disease and their ultrasound abdomen findings, like liver size, echo pattern and echogenicity, nodularity, intrahepatic vessel [IHV] obliteration, ascites and splenomegaly. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 16. The association of duration of the disease on ultrasound findings was studied by means of chi-square test
Results: A total of 193 subjects [92 males, 101 females; age range 14-80 years] were taken. The average measured liver span was 13.99 +/- 3.14 cm, with most coarse echo pattern. About a quarter, i.e. 26.94% of the cases, had no complications; 17.62% only had ascites and 16.06% presented with IHV obliteration, and ascites with splenomegaly. The duration had no significant association with liver size, echo pattern and echogenicity, and nodularity of the liver [p-values of 0.182, 0.331 and 0.268], respectively or complications [p=0.164]
Conclusion: The duration of CLD had no significant association with the ultrasound findings of liver